Adiwang stoked by Brooks' trash talk

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino fighter Lito Adiwang has fallen into the trap set up by new ONE Championship signee Jared Brooks, whom the former will battle in ONE: NextGen III — a tape-delayed event from Singapore airing on November 26.

Brooks launched a tirade against reigning strawweight titlist Joshua Pacio, the 28-year-old Adiwang’s stablemate, saying the former would “rip him apart.”

It triggered Adiwang, who has improved to 13-3 after a unanimous decision win over Chinese Hexi Hexigetu last month and should move up the division ladder if he overcomes Brooks.

"I think he's just an unlucky guy who talks and acts like a monkey. I guess that's why he calls himself 'The Monkey god' because he will try to bluff and get in his opponents' head before the fight and that's really all he could do," said Adiwang.

"I am ready to humble him and show him that the lions in this division eat monkeys like him for breakfast," he added.

Brooks, for his part, has a better record as he won 16 of his 18 fights including a unanimous decision triumph over Japanese Haruo Ochi in Bellator 237 two years back.

And the American’s ploy to get into his opponent’s nerve has succeeded with Adiwang getting into a word war with Brooks to the latter’s liking.